What’s New?

1. What’s New?

2. Planning for Child Evaluator Training • First Steps is using Survey Monkey to support planning in the coming year • The Kentucky PLE Needs Assessment/ Survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vzEklnhbQB1x_2bpK_2b7AiL5A_3d_3d • This address will be provided in a email following the conference this evening

3. APR/SPP Updates

4. APR/SPP Reminder • The indicator that looks at timely services has activities and the first one identifies that: • Allow Primary Level Evaluators to provide intervention services in areas of provider shortages to minimize the impact of provider shortages on timely service provision. • Status: • There was misinformation throughout the state that primary level evaluators could not also provide early intervention services in areas of shortage, when in fact this had always been allowable.

5. Indicators 5 and 6 deals with Child Find: There is an Activity proposed moving from a 5 to 7 domain system: • Background information: • Eligibility varies from state to state • Some states examine fine/gross motor, as well as receptive/expressive communication abilities separately: • Louisiana • Oregon • Other states consider either motor or communication separately: • Arizona • Tennessee • Virginia • Reminder: This information is from a brief web-review, further work needs to be completed to have more complete and detailed information.

6. APR/SPP Continued • The Evaluation Subcommittee/Workgroup investigated and did not recommend proceeding at this time • The Kentucky PLE Needs Assessment has questions to gather opinions/information from PLEs in the field

7. Assessment Updates • 7/13/2007 Due to concerns expressed by individuals trained on the E-LAP, Central Office has eliminated it from the list of approved instruments; narrowing that list to three.

8. Cabinet-Approved Criterion Referenced Assessment Instruments • Assessment, Evaluation and Programming System (AEPS) • Carolina Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs • Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP)

9. Policy Indicates: • Every child determined eligible by established risk shall have an assessment in all five (5) areas of development done by a primary level evaluator in lieu of a primary level evaluation using a cabinet-approved criterion referenced instrument (See RES-15).

10. Established Risk Policy • Addendum to First Steps Policy & Procedure Manual Relates to:  IV – Assessment – 911 KAR 2:130 (Email August 3, 2007) Effective:  August 1, 2007 • Continues to be active from August 1, 2007

11. The assessment report shall include:       (a)   A description of the assessment activities and the information obtained;       (b)      Identifying information:                    1.  The Central Billing and Information System identification number; and                      2.  The child’s Date of Birth; and                      3.   The name of the child; and                      4.    The child’s age at the date of the assessment; and                      5.    The name of the service provider and discipline; and                      6.     The date of the assessment; and

12. 7. The setting of the assessment; and   8.  The state of the health of the child during the assessment; and    9.  Whether the child’s response level was typical; and    10.  The instruments and assessment methods used; and    11.  Who was present for the assessment; and    12.  The signature of the assessment;

13. (c)        A profile of the child’s level of performance, in a narrative form and shall indicate:        1.   Concerns and priorities; and           2.  Child’s unique strengths and needs; and            3.    Skills achieved since last report, if applicable; and            4.      Emerging skills; and 5.      Direction of future service delivery;

14. (d)  Suggestions for any strategies, materials, or equipment or adaptations that shall support the child’s development; (e)   Information that shall be helpful to the family and other providers in building on the team’s focus for the child and family; and

15. (f)   For providers completing a cabinet-approved assessment instrument for progress monitoring and program planning purposes, a copy of the assessment protocol shall be submitted to the local Point of Entry (POE) office for data entry purposes within ten (10) working days if an online version of the assessment is not used or direct entry into the Kentucky Early Childhood Data System (KEDS) is not available.  If an online version of the assessment is used, the provider must list Christopher Anderson as an administrator for the online account.  Christopher Anderson’s e-mail is:  andersoncf@uky.edu .  Mr. Anderson will export data directly from the online account.

16.     Each assessment protocol submitted to the POE must contain:  1) the child’s CBIS number, 2) the provider number, and 3) the provider’s National Provider Identifier (NPI), if applicable.

17.   The initial assessment(s) report(s) shall be shared verbally with the family.  The written report, not including a copy of the assessment protocol, shall be sent to the family and the written report, including a copy of the protocol (if applicable), shall be sent to the local Point of Entry within ten (10) working days of the completion of the assessment or prior to the IFSP meeting, whichever is earlier. 

18. Betsy Kitchen brought up an “inconsistency in how PLE’s are sending in their contracts” • Every PLE needs three codes: • 26 for PLEs • Their individual therapy code for attending the IFSP • 38 for 5 area assessments for those children with established risk

19. Training Opportunity • In the evaluation of HELP training, many attendees suggested the need for additional scoring training on the HELP tool. To support providers a follow-up training is being specifically developed for First Steps. • These trainings are available in October and November and registration continues through the TRAIN system  

20. Question about the use of Norm-Referenced Testing as a part of Assessment Process • A five area criterion referenced test must be completed • Additional testing (if family desires) is possible within the system, but there is no additional payment structure for it

21. Save the Children, Frank Porter Graham Institute, and the Eastern KY Childcare Coalition are looking for early childhood personnel: • Early Childhood Specialist • Trainers • Mentor • Administrators • Program Evaluator • Contact Sarah Belanger <SBelanger@savechildren.org>

22. Brenda Mullins from the Transition Project has made a new DVD available for providers to use with families • The DVD contains: • The Parent Guide: Building a Strong Foundation for School Success • Birth to Three years old • 3-4 years old • Fireside Chat • Sample Clips • Request free DVD through her email at <bmullin@email.uky.edu>